City Hunter: Servants of Death
by Gene Akizuki
Summary: Ryo Saeba, the famed City Hunter, will face his deadliest challenge yet: a group of female maid assassins armed to the teeth. His only chance is to trust one of them.
1. Chapter 1

CITY HUNTER: SERVANT OF DEATH

1

She calls herself Yuu. Tall for a Japanese woman, she has a cute face and sweet smile that would charm anyone. Her brown eyes look bigger because of custom contact lenses, which add to her appeal. She walks with a slow grace on the hotel corridor dressed in black and white French maid costume. Rounding a corridor, she saw the room that she's been looking for: Room 306.

There are two men on the corridor, dressed in black, expensive suits and sunglasses. Yuu's eyes are sharp enough to see the bulges on the men's suits. These guys are obviously bodyguards packing pistols. Yuu kept a close watch on them as she pretends cleaning a painting on the corridor wall. She could feel the bodyguards watching her as well.

Yuu saw another French maid walking on the corridor pushing a cart of laundry. She knocks on the door one by one, taking out dirty bed sheets and towels. The second French maid is also tall, with short pink hair and angry, piercing eyes behind round eyeglasses. She calls herself Sakura, which means cherry blossoms. However, Sakura's cold and menacing demeanor is anything but bloomy. Yuu didn't like her at all, but respected her skills in her specialty.

Sakura pushed the cart towards room 306. The bodyguards stopped her and said something that Yuu couldn't hear. Sakura lifted the cover of the cart for the bodyguards to see.

Suddenly, another French maid popped out of the cart like a jack in the box, her hand snapping out like a cobra. She is Keiko, an expert with knives. The bodyguard pulled himself backwards but Keiko buried the Japanese kunai blade on the neck of the man. The second bodyguard reached for his gun but Keiko's left hand lashed out, another kunai flew in the air and the bodyguard fell dead with steel on his left eye.

"God, you're messy," remarked Sakura as Keiko climbed out of the cart. She is considerably younger than Sakura. Keiko drew a Glock 19 pistol from her apron.

"Look who's talking," Keiko answered with a grin.

Sakura grunted in annoyance as she removed the towels on the cart and brought out her weapon, a Daewoo K3 5.56mm light machine gun with the 200-round belt magazine. Yuu sighed as she approached the duo, a chrome Beretta 92FS nine millimeter pistol on both hands, Akimbo style. "Let's go," she said. "We don't have much time."

Sakura kicked the door of Room 306. The heavy wood flew open inward, surprising the three men guarding the living room. Sakura pulled the trigger of her machine gun and held it, spraying bullets on the men before they could pull out their weapons. The bodyguards fell in bloody mess as well as most of the furniture, wreaked by Sakura's indiscriminate fire.

Yuu stormed inside, her Berettas held in front as they hear people screaming on the hotel. A bodyguard appeared on the bathroom and fired his pistol. Yuu dropped on the carpet, her Beretta spitting rounds. The man dropped like a stone. Another appeared on the 2nd room aiming his shotgun at Yuu's prone form. Sakura's K3 ripped the man and the wall in half.

Yuu stood up and nodded her thanks to Sakura. She kicked the master's bedroom open and saw a fat man cowering behind a bed. The man fired his pistol at Yuu but she is quicker. A well-placed 9mm slug hit the fat man on the right arm. He dropped his pistol screaming in pain. Yuu aimed her Beretta on the man's head. "Wait…" he yelped. "Don't kill me…please…I'll give you money…"

Yuu pulled the trigger and the man's head exploded.

"Let's go!" shouted Keiko.

The three ladies excited the room and ran towards the end of the corridor. Suddenly the elevator door opened and five men came rushing out, brandishing firearms. Yuu's Berettas fired in unison, Sakura's K3 erupted like a chainsaw and Keiko's Glock spit fire. The bodyguards were turned into Swiss cheese by 9mm and 5.56mm slugs.

Yuu reloads her pistols as they descended on the stairs, ignoring the deathtrap elevators. Fortunately, they were only on the fifth floor so they reached the ground floor in seconds. They simply walked fast on the lobby as people ran in fear of the gun-totting French maids. A security guard tried to stop them but he collapsed on the marble floor, a kunai embedded on his chest.

They went out of the front door just in time to see two police cars screaming towards them. Sakura didn't give them the chance. Smiling with a sadistic grin, she fired her machine gun and stitched the cars with lead. Bullet holes appeared on the cars, glass shatters under the onslaught of a hundred rounds. A policeman driving the first patrol car was decapitated as .223 caliber slugs blasted his face. His partner was also killed instantly. The second driver was fortunate enough to drop down and was wounded in the shoulders; his partner was dead with a bullet in the heart.

Sakura's mayhem caused a pileup as other cars crash into each other, drivers and passengers trapped and terrified. Sakura reloads her K3, slapping a new belt home.

"Sakura, stop this!" yelled Yuu.

The crazed machine gun maid ignored her. She went closer to the wrecked police cars and saw the wounded officer on the ground, clutching his shoulders. The policeman forgot about his gun, fear enveloped him as Sakura approaches. She smiled sadistically, enjoying seeing fear in man's eyes. Sakura mercilessly machine gunned the policeman.

She then saw a car that had crashed in a telephone pole with three teenagers trapped inside. Her K3 jackhammered the car and killed the civilians instantly.

"Sakura!" Yuu shouted in anger, seeing innocent people get slaughtered.

But Sakura turned her attention in a stuck school bus. The school children inside are crying and screaming. Yuu's blood ran cold and she ran towards her comrade. "No!"

Sakura pulled the trigger, but Yuu kicked the machine gun upwards. Bullets drilled in the sky. Sakura aimed her gun at her fellow maid but Yuu's Beretta was already pressed on her chin. Yuu tilted the Beretta, making sure that the muzzle was inline with Sakura's medulla oblongata. "You kill more innocent civilians and I swear, I will kill you myself," Yuu growled in a cold voice that seems to come straight from hell.

Sakura looked at Yuu's brown eyes and suddenly, the sadistic smiled disappeared from her face. She is certain that Yuu is dead serious, one wrong move and she would pull the trigger, severing her medulla oblongata and killing her instantly before she could even touch the trigger of her K3.

A black van pulled alongside the two. "Let's get out of her," Keiko shouted on the open sliding door. The driver of the van was another maid named Minami, a small girl that looks like a high school student but is deadly with explosives. On the passenger seat is the fifth maid, Ai, the group's sniper. She is covering the two with the muzzle of her scoped FN FAL rifle.

Yuu took the K3 with one hand and threw it inside the van. Keeping her eyes on Sakura, she entered the van and sat inside. A few seconds later, Sakura also entered the van and closed the door.

"You were just lucky, Yuu," Sakura said, her voice dripping with venom.

"Yes I am," Yuu answered, holstering her Beretta.

* * *

><p>The maids ditched their van along with their clothing, sinking them all in Tokyo Bay. Wearing civilian clothes, the girls rode an SUV towards the city of Kawaguchi in the suburbs of Tokyo. As always, the talkative Minami tried to lighten up the mood, but Yuu and Sakura remain stone faced on the journey.<p>

"You should see the guy, Minami," Keiko said happily, she is riding shotgun on the Land Cruiser. "He begged for mercy but Yuu simply shot him in the head. The bodyguards are no sweat, they are just like sandbags with guns."

"Really?" Minami replied, keeping her eyes on the road as she drives. "One-chan is the best, isn't she?" The little explosives master is a protégé of Yuu and they treat each other like siblings.

"We went through the bodyguards like scythe through hay," continued Keiko. "One guy was ripped apart by Sakura, he must have got a hundred bullets on him, haha. I almost feel sorry for the guy." Keiko looked at Yuu at the backseat to share the fun.

Yuu's eyes made contact with Keiko's. Suddenly, Keiko saw a vision that made her smile disappeared. Returning the tall, maid's gaze, Keiko had a disturbing vision that came and went like a sudden flash of lightning. She saw row upon row of neat, white, unmarked tombstones that jutted like teeth on the green grass all the way to the horizon, with the swirling sky the color of bullet lead. The vision was so oppressive Keiko's mouth went dry and her throat ache.

"Music, please," asked Yuu.

Keiko broke contact with the hard brown eyes and hit the CD player. Japanese pop music blared inside the Land Cruiser. Minami, Keiko and Ai continued chattering like school girls going on a picnic while Sakura sat silent. Yuu tried to concentrate of the music of Utada Hikaru but she is well aware that the three are talking about the killing today and others before it.

Yuu felt a cold knot on her belly. The girls that she treated like family are becoming more and more callous and enjoyed the wet work way to much for comfort. Yuu can kill a person without blinking an eyelash, but while she can be a cold blooded murderer, she really hates killing. She kills not for enjoyment or self-fulfillment; she kills because she is a professional. Seeing her friends slipping more and more to the dark side made her worried, especially for Minami.

Minami stopped the car in front of a club. Yuu stepped out and went inside without saying a word. The others followed her.

A man is drinking on the VIP room. He is thin, with Chinese features and wears black rimmed eye glasses He stood up as the girls entered the dark, windowless lounge. "Congratulations," he said. "Job well done, Servants, as always. Takada is eliminated with extreme prejudice."

"Where is the money, Kai?" Yuu said without preamble.

Kai took a gym bag from under the table and tossed it to Yuu. She placed the bag on a small table and opened it. Inside are stacks of money in American dollars. "How much?" she asked Kai.

"Two million."

Yuu took three stacks of money, each an inch thick. She pocketed the money on her jacket.

Kai noticed it. "Uh…Yuu…that amount is too small or you. You should take 400 grand."

"This is enough for me." She passed the bag to Minami. "You can take the rest of my share."

Minami shook her head. "We will divide this equally."

"Well then," Kai remarked. "Until the next job."

"No, Kai," said Yuu somberly. "I'm out."

Everyone froze in shock. "What?" Kai said, laughing. "Don't jive us, girl."

"I'm serious. I'm out. I quit."

Kai's expression turned dark. "What are you saying? Do you need more money? We can give you more. Come on, Yuu. You're the best. Don't do this."

"This is not about the money, Kai. I had it with all this killing."

Keiko spoke up. "Yuu, we are the Servants of Death. Bombs and bullets, blades and beauty. We are five but one. You cannot leave us like this."

"She is right, Yuu," Ai added. "A few more job and we can all live a quiet life…"

Yuu snapped a sharp look that made Ai stepped back in fear. "Live a quiet life? Do you really think we can all live happily ever after? The whole Japanese police force is looking for us. The families and cohorts of the people we killed all want our heads. There is no way we can live quietly."

"One-chan," Minami said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Then why are you quitting, Yuu?" asked Kai. "You know damn well on what's gonna happen."

Yuu turned her heels and walk towards the door.

"Don't you turn your back on me, Yuu!" Kai thundered. "I can kill you right now!" His hand reached for his pistol.

Yuu didn't look back. "You know me, Kai. You would be dead before you can even pull that weapon out."

Kai stepped back in anger. He knows the skill of the maid in gun fighting and what she said is true. "You bitch…"

"Go if you want," Sakura said. "We can live without you. Just a word of advice, Yuu. Keep your mouth shut and disappear. If I meet you again, I will kill you."

Yuu opened the door and went out. "One-chan!" Minami followed her sempai. "Please don't go."

Yuu hugged the little girl. "I'm sorry, Minami. I have to do this. Please don't be mad at me."

Tears flowed from Minami's eyes. "One-chan…."

"Save up your money, Minami. And leave the group as soon as you can. You are still very young, there is still a bright future ahead of you. Goodbye." She kissed Minami's forehead and walked away without turning back.

Kai watched Yuu drive her Porsche away from the bar on the CCTV screen. He drinks in anger as Sakura, Keiko and Ai sat quietly, contemplating on what had happen. Kai took out his cellphone and called a number. "Yes, this is Kai. We have a problem. Get me the Akizuki."

Sakura looked up. They all know Akizuki as yakuza boss with a private army. "I don't like Yuu, and she doesn't like me as well. But she has a word of honor. She will disappear. You don't need for us to eliminate her."

Kai laughed. "You won't. You girls will have a more important project. Akizuki and his men will take care of Yuu."

"Don't forget one thing, Kai," Sakura warned ominously. "Make sure Akizuki have a good supply of body bags."


	2. Chapter 2

2

"God, what a mess," said Captain Saeko Nogami, the commander of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Homicide division. She shook her head in disgust as she entered the bullet-riddled crime scene in front of the Happy Hotel.

Captain Nogami is a veteran in crime scenes, but this is the worst that she had seen so far. As the youngest and only woman captain in the police force, she has a tremendous responsibility to solve heinous crimes quickly and cleanly. But there is nothing clean about the carnage that had happen here.

The police sealed the whole hotel lobby and the street in front of it with yellow 'POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS' tape, as well as room 306 where the first murders happen. The bodies of victims were marked and photographed by the Crime Scene Investigation personnel in all angles before being carted away by ambulances to funeral homes. All evidences, including spent bullet cases and bullet holes, were marked and photographed. Nothing was missed by the CSI. Pretty impressive, Saeko thought as she watches the officers' work.

Saeko is not wearing a uniform, she wears her usual tight leather pants and denim jacket with a pistol on her belt and badge hanging on her neck. Nevertheless, she was well-known and all other officers saluted her. A uniformed officer approached her. "Captain, I got the initial reports here," Officer Chiba said.

"Spill it," Saeko ordered as she went down on the street to observe the bullet cases and bloodstains up close.

"So far, we got a nineteen dead, with five more wounded, two in critical condition," Chiba began. "The dead includes four police officers, gunned down here. It was a classic Servants of Death operation."

The Servants of Death gang is well-known in the police community, although solid information about them is pretty much vague. Their exact number is unknown, but it is speculated that they have three to seven members. Sometimes they work individually but most of the time they work as a team for big "projects" such as these. This clearly shows their individual skills working in sync. They called themselves Servants of Death because they wear French maid uniforms when they launch attacks. One thing is for sure; all members are beautiful young girls.

Chiba continued. "Three girls dressed as French maids, confirmed by witnesses. They apparently entered the hotel disguised as maids. They went to the fifth floor, killed the two bodyguards outside room 306 with throwing knives that has a ring on the handle…"

"Kunai," Saeko said.

Chiba nodded. "Yes, the favorite small knife of ninjas. It can be used as a normal knife or thrown like a shuriken."

Saeko agreed. "Keiko, the knife master of the Servants. Continue, officer."

"The girls entered the room and quickly overpowered the remaining bodyguards. Overpowered is an understatement, they didn't stand a chance. The bodyguards were massacred by a belt-fed machine gun."

"Sakura, the heavy weapons specialist. She is one nasty bitch."

"Then they entered the master's bedroom and saw their target, Genta Takada, the drug dealer. Takada was killed with one precise shot to the head, his right hand was also shot."

"Yuu, the pistol expert. She is the most skilled and dangerous of the Servants. Typically she carries two pistols and handles them like Chow Yun Fat."

"The three got out of the room and ran face to face with five other bodyguards on the elevator. They were all taken out like convicts on a firing squad. One of them survived but he is not expected to live long. They went out of the lobby, killing one guard with another kunai. Then they went out here."

Saeko concluded the report herself. "The two police cars came in, and Sakura mowed them down." She felt the chill on her spine. The murder of a drug lord and his highly-paid private army is something that Saeko is secretly happy about, but the cold blooded butchering of police officers and civilians is reprehensible.

Chiba pointed at a huge blood pool on the road beside the police car. "We believe one of the officers survived the ambush, but Sakura went in and executed him in cold blood."

"Sakura is a well-trained assassin, machine-like in speed and efficiency who feels sadistic pleasure in killing."

"Then she hit this car here." Chiba pointed at the red Honda littered with bullet holes. "Three teenagers were killed instantly. By the way, some stray rounds killed and wounded more civilians around the area. Then, something interesting happened."

Saeko looked at her deputy quizzically "What was that?"

"Witnesses said Sakura nearly riddled that school bus full of children. But Yuu, identified because of her shiny Beretta, stopped her and even pointed the gun on Sakura's chin. It seems Yuu didn't appreciate Sakura's murdering spree."

Saeko nodded. "A true professional, this Yuu. According to the reports on previous Servants hit, Yuu was never reported to kill innocent bystanders or even police officers."

"Then they all escaped on a van with two other maids on the front seats."

"I'm sure that's Ai the sniper and Minami the explosive wizard. It makes sense. I'd bet my badge that there five members of the Servants. I'm also sure that the van was disposed off with all the evidence. These girls are good."

"What about the CCTV footages of the hotel?" asked Chiba.

"Probably disabled. Check it anyway. I want an all points bulletin nationwide for these girls. They are very resourceful as well as dangerous. So far, we haven't been able to catch them because they are very careful not to make mistakes. But we have to do whatever it takes to bring them to justice."

Chiba looked at the hotel turned slaughterhouse. "Permission to speak what's on my mind, ma'am?"

"Sure."

"I don't know that they made a mistake killing Takada and others like him," Chiba said with a shrug. "I worked in narcotics before being assigned in homicide. These drug dealers and crime bosses are the scum of the earth. Have you seen what heroin and meth does to people? The addiction burns them out and fries their brain. The bastards sell it to school kids. They have better weapons than what we have. These are crazy animals who doesn't give a damn about human life, all their care for is profit. Sorry captain, but I'm damn happy that Takada got what he deserves."

Saeko knew that Chiba's younger brother got hooked in heroin and spent a year in rehab. She understood the officer's anger and frustration. "Before you think these girls are some kind of noble vigilantes, remember that they also killed fellow cops and civilians. They might not be on the side of the crime bosses but they're not on our side as well."

"So what the hell do they want?" asked Chiba.

"We will find out. But we will need extra help."


	3. Chapter 3

3

Ryo Saeba raised his Colt Python .357 Magnum nickel-plated revolver with a six-inch barrel. Laying the front and rear sight on the target, he squeezed the trigger. The revolver roared, the recoil of the powerful round bucked the gun on his hand. Downrange, the steel round plate flew backwards and disappeared. Ryo fired five more times and all six targets were down in seconds. He opened the chamber and dumped the empty shells.

"Hey Ryo," Kaori Makimura, his "partner and manager" called out. The tomboyish girl wears her usual short hair loose. "You've been target practicing since morning."

Ryo removed his ear muffs and safety goggles. Standing at near 6 feet tall, the ruggedly handsome private detective or sweeper was known as the City Hunter. He is dressed in the usual red shirt and white suit. Despite his Japanese name, he has Hispanic features that suggested his origins. He is known for his prowess with guns, and not just on the range. There are many criminals that did not live to tell the tale of how good he is.

"That's the last one," he assured Kaori. He took out a speed loader from his shoulder holster. But one of the bullets fell on the floor and he dropped down to get it. Then he saw Kaori's legs…

"Well can we eat our lunch now?" Kaori asked, and then she looked down. Her face blushed as she saw Ryo smiling lecherously while staring at her legs. "You bastard!" she shouted, her knee smacking on Ryo's face.

A few minutes later Ryo is driving his Ferrari with one hand, his left hand holding his bleeding nose. "Jesus, Kaori. I think you broke my nose," he grunted in disbelief.

"Serve's you right," Kaori answered with no trace of regret. "I'm studying Muay Thai, you know."

"Do you have to practice your skills on me?" Ryo said sarcastically.

The two kept on arguing until they reached the Shinjuku Station. "I'll check the board," Kaori said, dismounting from the Ferrari.

"I'll wait here." Of course, this is another perfect time for Ryo to hit on pretty girls around the station.

The City Hunter business is an underground enterprise. And the only way to contact Ryo is to leave a coded message on the blackboard at Shinjuku Station. The code is "XYZ". Kaori went straight to the blackboard and saw the code. "We have another one," she said excitedly. She took the chalk and wrote a coded message. Then she enters the train and went to Akihabara Station, the famous electronics and otaku capital of Japan.

Besides a big building that contains many anime stores, there is a specific landmark, a bronze statue of the world-famous Astroboy. Near here are three public telephone boxes. Only Kaori knows which one is needed for this job. She went inside the third booth. Sure enough, the pay phone started ringing.

Kaori raised the phone and placed it back on the receiver. It rang again and she did it again. When the phone rang for a third time, she answered the phone. "City Hunter here."

"I want to speak to Ryo Saeba," a distinctly female voice said on the other line.

"You have to speak with me first," Kaori insisted.

"Very well. Tell Saeba to see me tonight at Lamborghini Bar in Roppongi. I will be wearing a white hat." The line went dead.

Kaori replaced the phone on the receiver. "Strange," she muttered as she exited the booth.

Ryo pulled up his car beside her. Kaori opened the door and sat on the passenger seat. "It's a girl. She said she'll meet you at Lamborghini Bar in Roppongi tonight."

"Any more?" Ryo asked.

"She said she'll be wearing a white hat."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. No more. I think she'll tell you the mission in the bar."

"No shit," Ryo muttered and drove the Ferrari forward.

Turns out, Lamborghini Bar is quite a chic place. The bar is quite impressive, with a shiny yellow Lamborghini Gallardo displayed on the lobby. Ryo clucked his tongue, he doesn't agree on using high performance super cars as decoration. The restaurant/bar is obviously car themed, with yellow walls and lights.

"I'll be seeing yellow for a week," Ryo said as he dismounted from his Ferrari. He is still dressed on his trademark off-white suit and pants. His Colt Python resting on his shoulder holster under the left armpit, under the right are three speed loaders containing six .357 Magnum jack hollow points each. The shoulder rig disappeared under his jacket. He's also packing a backup revolver on his left ankle, a .357 Smith and Wesson snubnose with an internal hammer.

On his left hand, he is carrying a black briefcase. It was an additional hardware that Ryo thinks he won't need but his friend Umibozu insisted on it. Ryo dropped by Umibozu's house before going to Roppongi.

"What the hell is that?" Ryo asked Umibozu as the fellow sweeper brought out the briefcase.

Umibozu opened it and showed a futuristic-looking submachine gun that looks like an old Uzi but sleeker. The briefcase has a trigger on the handle, allowing the shooter to fire the weapon without opening the case. Ryo's eyes lit up. "Oh shit!" he exclaimed. "Is that the Heckler and Koch MP7?"

"Yes it is," Umibozu confirmed. "This is one of the first owned by a civilian in Japan. Of course, it's illegal." Umibozu smiled on his own joke. "Four point six millimeter armor-piercing rounds firing at 800 rounds per minute. You got the option of 20-round flush fitting magazines of 40-round banana-type magazine."

Ryo, a lover of Magnums and other high-powered firearms, didn't think the tiny 4.6mm rounds the MP7 fire would be substantial, but at least he had a rifle-like weapon in a tiny package.

Carrying the case, Ryo entered the bar. The attendant greeted him which he returned with a smile. His eyes wandered on the tables, and sure enough, a pretty girl wearing red sat on the far corner. A white hat perched on her head. Ryo approached her. "Hello pretty lady, I'm the City Hunter."

"Sit," the lady ordered. Her right hand is under the table. Ryo quickly assumes she's holding a gun, and he has no choice but to follow.

Ryo sat on the chair in front of the woman. A waiter approached and Ryo ordered beer. "So, let's talk business," he said. Damn, she's way to pretty for words, Ryo thought.

"Put that case on the side, and put both your hands on top of the table," the woman said. Ryo followed the instructions. "Make a wrong move and I'll blow your testicles off."

"I'm sure," Ryo said nervously. The prospect of getting castrated with bullets is not appealing to him.

The woman removed her hat, exposing her beautiful features more. Ryo couldn't keep his eyes off her, especially those big brown eyes. They are…captivating. The beer arrived and Ryo took a sip to calm his nerves.

"You can call me Yuu," the woman said. "I'm a former member of the Servants of Death."

Ryo nearly spit the beer, he swallowed it hard. "What? Are you serious?"

"I need your help. My former comrades are certainly going to eliminate me."

"You need protection? Or a passage out of here?"

Yuu shook her head. "No. I want you to help me stop them from killing again. They have more targets, and unless we stop them, Tokyo will be littered with dead bodies."

Ryo sat silent.

"My former comrades are skilled killers," Yuu continued. "I'll tell you everything you need to know. Help me take them down, and if we can, we'll get them alive."

"You said they are skilled killers," Ryo commented. "I don't think we can take them without a fight."

Yuu nodded. "I agree. They will go down hard. But I want to save Minami. She's like a sister to me."

The door of the bar opened and men entered the restaurant. Ryo tensed as the men walked in a formation, obviously searching the restaurant. "Looks like we got company," Ryo remarked, taking his briefcase.

"Akizuki and his men," growled Yuu. "Yakuza goons, armed with guns." Her Berettas on both her hands are cocked and their safeties off under the table.

A waiter approached the group, but one of the goons backhanded him on the face. The other patrons quickly sensed trouble and evacuated the restaurant. The goons saw Ryo and Yuu and they whispered to themselves that their found their target.

Takeshi Akizuki, the yakuza boss, yelled as he pulled his pistol out. "Kill them both!"

.


	4. Chapter 4

4

Ryo made his decision in a heartbeat and pulled the trigger of his briefcase. His 4.6mm slugs ripped into Akizuki's chest, tumbling inside flesh as designed and producing horrendous wounds. Yuu fired her Berettas at the same time, 9mm rounds blasting Akizuki's head. He was chopped to bits, collapsing on the floor.

"Down!" Ryo yelled as he leaped towards the floor. Yuu did the same thing as bullets smashed on the table and wall. Ryo drew his Python and fired his MP7 again, hitting another yakuza on the legs. He pivoted, swinging his Magnum at another man armed with a .45. Ryo tripped the trigger, a 125-grain JHP smashed on the gunman's face killing him instantly.

Yuu slid on the floor, firing booth her guns. It quickly became clear that the yakuza men are not accustomed to combat and she strongly suspect that all they know about firing a gun is spray and pray. Two goons collapsed as they were hit by 9mm hollowpoints. Yuu stood up and kept on firing as she ran towards the Lamborghini display.

Ryo kept the others busy. He fired the briefcase that kept the other goons down. The MP7 went empty and Ryo didn't have the time to reload it. He tossed the case and it slid on the floor, then he jumped on top of it. Using the case as a sled, he fired his Python again and again, killing two more assailants.

Yuu reloaded her Berettas as bullets ruined the expensive display. Yuu opened the distinctive swan door of the Lambo and she crawled inside for cover. Windshield shards rained on her but the safety glass didn't cause any wounds. She rose up, firing her guns Akimbo style. The yakuza took cover but one collapsed on a bloody heap.

One brave soul leaped into the air with a revolver in each hand. He probably saw too much action movies, jumping and firing in the air. Reality hit him in the form of a .357 Magnum slug in the stomach and four 9mm on the chest. His graceful jump came crashing down literally. Ryo scooped the briefcase and ran towards the Lambo display. He opened the chamber of his Colt and reloads it quickly.

Yuu exited the other side, one of her Berettas stuck on her belt while holding one on the right hand. She fired the pistol, emptying the 16-round mag in seconds and taking out one man with two shots in the torso. With lightning speed, she dropped the empty mag and slapped one full home and fired again rapidly. Ryo saw it and he was amazed by Yuu's skill.

"Let's go!" Ryo shouted. Yuu quickly pulled back and the two ran towards the kitchen. The door was locked but one .357 slug blew the lock open. Ryo and Yuu ran towards a dark alley and stopped to catch their breath.

Ryo opened the case and took out the MP7. He reloads the weapon and gave it to Yuu. "Here," he said.

Yuu took the machine pistol; she exhausted almost all her ammo in the shootout. "Thanks," she said.

They ran towards the Ferrari. Ryo took the driver seat while Yuu entered the passenger side. Ryo revved the car and drove it away from the bar as they heard police car sirens. "Are you hurt? Are you bleeding?" asked Ryo.

Yuu raised her left hand. It has dried blood on the back. "Just a scratch, no bullet wounds."

"There is a first aid kit under your seat."

Yuu quickly dressed her wound. "That bastard Kai. He sent those yakuza goons and not the Servants to kill me."

"Meaning?"

"That could only mean one thing. The Servants have a more important mission. Where are we going?"

Ryo thought about that. "I have to take you to a safe place." He sighed resignedly. "I knew I'd get into trouble taking a Ferrari into a Lamborghini Bar."

The only safe place that Ryo knew is his own flat. Yuu was surprised when Ryo drove his Ferrari on a building that seems to be under construction. Ryo parked his Ferrari on the basement parking area and the two climbed three stories using a construction elevator. Steel and concrete debris littered everywhere. But in the end of a corridor is a steel door. Ryo used a magnetic key to open it. "Welcome to my home," he said.

Yuu was also surprised to see a clean, well-maintained house that would rival expensive condos in Roppongi Hills. The flat is western in design, with couches and Central American paintings in the wall. "I'm impressed," Yuu remarked.

Ryo pressed a button on the corner of the big painting. The painting swung open and revealed displayed guns, from military rifles to hunting shotguns. He placed the MP7 on the wall and took out a cleaning kit from the drawer. "We'll need to get out guns sanitized," he said.

Yuu sat on the couch and set her twin Beretta 9FS Inox on the coffee table. "These are the guns that I used on my first job. They never parted my side ever since."

Ryo sat on the other couch and placed the cleaning kit on the coffee table. "While we clean the guns, can you tell your story?"

Yuu closed her eyes. The she began telling her story with the Servants of Death.

An hour later, Yuu finished cleaning her Berettas. She reassembled them then applied a thin coat of oil on the railings and rapidly cocks the slide to evenly dispense the lubricant. She slapped an empty magazine home, cocks the gun again and aimed at a light bulb. Yuu squeezed the trigger, she heard the gun clicked. The sight didn't move an eyelash. If there is a bullet on the gun, the bulb would be disintegrated with a dead center hit.

Satisfied, Yuu dropped the empty magazine and slapped the full one. She pulled the slide again; the first bullet entered the chamber, ready to go. She pushed the release, dropping the magazine and she load another full one then flicked the safety on. The gun is now loaded with max 16 9mm rounds. She did the same thing on the other Beretta.

Ryo also finished cleaning his revolver. "So that's what happen," he concluded.

"I can't let them slaughter more innocent people." Yuu slipped the guns on her bag.

"This Kai person is the key."

"We can't flush him out easily. We have to chip on the ice to get to the prize."

Ryo was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Akizuki is just one of the contacts of Kai. If my hunch is correct, he is also in bed with other yakuza gangs, including the Sakamotos and the Chinese mafia. We took out Takada because he is a rival of Sakamoto in his drug business. Now, if we can get Sakamoto…"

"Just a minute," Ryo interrupted. "Are you saying we launch a war against one of the most dangerous gangs in Tokyo?"

Yuu smiled. "They do have a small army of at least a hundred men, armed with firearms. But these guys are not like us. They are more suitable in slaughtering unsuspecting people in drive by shooting. I'd say with the right timing and weapons, we can give them a great deal of damage. That would force Kai to send the Servants after us."

"And then?"

Yuu looked straight at Ryo's eyes. "We will set a trap. If we can, we will take them alive. If not, we kill them. Or they kill us."

Ryo shook his head in dismay. "Great plan. Two against 100 plus four highly-trained killers. I'm gonna ask Kaori to make my will."

Yuu stood up. "I'll take a shower."

Ryo grinned mischievously. "Sure….."

But then Yuu's eyes became as hard as marbles. "And if ever I catch you peeking at me, you'll be pissing blood for a week."

Ryo's enthusiasm vanished.

The door open and Kaori entered the apartment. Her surprised was evident, but she regained her composure. "Is she our client?" she asked.

Yuu smiled. "Yes. Call me Yuu."


	5. Chapter 5

5

Captain Saeko Nogami is still young and beautiful, but she is very worried about losing her looks as she grows older. In fact, she prefers to die in the line of duty with a bullet on the head or the heart than retiring from the force. So far, she manages to stay alive because of her skill and dedication to her job.

Going to work, she is always dressed beautifully, even sexily, more often showing her ample cleavage and long, white legs. Today she is a wearing sweater and leather skirt. Stress is taking toll on her, especially in the past couple of days. The morgue is full of murder victims that is now directly under her responsibility. On her table are mountains of files that she needs to study to find suspects. It was a paramount task, even for a veteran like her.

Saeko finally succumbed to exhaustion and dropped the folder on her table. "I should go outside and start finding these scumbags instead of reading all this shit," she muttered.

"Captain," Officer Chiba said, holding a phone receiver. "Mr. Saeba wants to talk with you."

"Great. Patch him on my phone." Saeko often uses the services of the City Hunter, and Ryo keeps a long and detailed list of all the favors he had done to her in hopes of getting even in the future. The captain raised the phone. "Saeko here"

"Saeko, its me," the familiar voice of Ryo replied. "I need to ask you a favor."

"Before that, I will have to ask you a question," Saeko said.

"Shoot."

"On the shootout last night, we recovered .357 Magnum cases that came from a Colt Python revolver. You are the only one that happens to own a Python here in Tokyo…"

"Yes I was involved in that shootout," Ryo admitted.

"Jesus, Ryo." Saeko's left hand landed on her forehead.

"You're a Christian now?" asked the City Hunter.

"Quit it. Do you realize how much strings I have to pull to keep your ass covered? I got so much brass digging on my ass I could very well be playing Uchuu Senkan Yamato."

"Don't worry; I'll dig your ass real soon."

Saeko got angry. "What do you want, Saeba?"

"Chill. You see, I got involved in that shooting, but I'm not alone."

"CCTV shows you are with a beautiful girl that also shoots well."

"Yeah. Listen, her name is Yuu…"

Saeko bolted from her chair. "Yuu? The Servant of Death?"

"Ex-Servant of Death," Ryo corrected. "That's why I called you, Saeko. Yuu is now my client."

"Are you out of your mind? That girl is a criminal, wanted for multiple murders and violent destruction of property!"

"Well, yeah. But she's now a target of her former comrades. I need to protect her. There are heavier players involved."

"Does she want a deal? Take her to me and we'll give her protection. She could be a witness. I can't promise she will get immunity from prosecution but I can assure she will get a lesser sentence."

"Do you have enough protection against professional assassins armed with machine guns and thermobaric bombs? No, no. That will not happen as of now. Listen, Yuu believes that she can convince the other Servants to surrender without bloodshed. And we can pinpoint the mastermind of all these murders."

"Ryo…" Saeko can barely control her anger and frustration. "What is your plan?"

"Well…that's the favor that I need to ask you. In the coming days, there would be more dead bodies."

Saeko knew what was coming. "You want me to turn a blind eye as you and that crazed bitch turn Tokyo into a slaughterhouse? ARE YOU FUCKING NUTS?"

"You've done it before, Saeko."

The captain fell on her chair. "I have a bad feeling about this, Ryo."

"Come on, Saeko. Give me a good answer."

Saeko shook her head and thought for a while. "This is a decision that could cause me my career."

"Five days is all I ask."

"Three days. No more, no less. You have three days to wrap this up, and your asses will be covered. If you don't finished this in three days its open season for your murderer girl friend…and you."

"Thank you, Saeko. I owe you this one. See you." The line went dead.

Saeko slammed the phone down the receiver. "God….damn it!" Its gonna be a long three day ordeal for her.

The police captain drew her gun, a mean-looking SIG-Sauer X5 LW. It was given to her by her police chief dad. The firearm is only slightly bigger than the old SIG-Sauer P226 but the X5 is equipped with under barrel rails, custom hardwood grips and sleeker slides. But the most impressive is the impressive magazine capacity. It can load nineteen 9mm shells on the flush fitting magazine plus one in the pipe for a total of 20. Saeko holds the gun with professional aplomb.

If worst comes to worst, there would not be enough body bags in Tokyo, she thought as she reholstered her gun.

* * *

><p>Ryo put the pay phone down. He exited the booth as Yuu sat waiting on a rental car. The sun is shining brightly but the weather is cold so the two of them are wearing thick windbreakers. The jackets kept their body warm as well as concealing their weapons and bulletproof Kevlar vests.<p>

Ryo jumped in the driver seat. "We have three days," he said. "No more, no less."

Yuu nodded.

Ryo drove the rental towards the Cat's Eye Cafe. If they are going to strike hard on the yakuza bases, they'll need heavier firepower. As usual, Umibozu greeted them in. "Kaori said you would come today," he said, his ugly face cracking a smile. He glanced at Yuu. "She's really pretty."

"Yuu, this is Umibozu," introduced Ryo. "You can call her Falcon."

Yuu smiled. "It's an honor."

"Do you have what we need?" Ryo asked.

A pretty girl came out holding a brightly colored gym bag. "Hey guys, here's your request," she said.

"Thanks, Miki," said Ryo, taking the gym bag.

"That's an awful lot of hardware," Miki commented.

Ryo opened the heavy bag and saw all the guns and ammo inside. "We're gonna need all of this."

"I've included six MU-50G grenades," added Umibozu. "In case you needed some explosive power."

Ryo and Yuu took the bag on their rental car. He drove towards their motel room in Shinjuku that serves as their staging area. Ryo opened the bag and inventoried the guns on the bed. As his request, Umibozu packed a Rock River M4, a short carbine that fires 5.56mm rounds and has an eight inch barrel. It could deliver devastating firepower in close range. Ryo assembled the upper and lower receivers together and attached an M68 Aimpoint red dot scope and a Surefire foregrip/flashlight. Then he attached a short silencer/flash hider. He then inserted a 30-round magazine containing 30 .223 caliber green-tipped hollowpoint rounds.

Yuu was also satisfied that Umibozu packed her the long weapon that she is most comfortable with, a Heckler and Koch UMP-45 submachine gun. Bigger than the famous MP5, the UMP fires the larger .45 caliber round at 800 RPM. Yuu guessed that the yakuza guys would not be wearing body armor so she wanted a submachine gun that didn't have the armor piercing capability but with enough mass and rate of fire. She snapped a SureShot sight, a foregrip and a silencer as well. With its frame made of polymer, the UMP is lightweight beast of a submachine gun. Yuu inserted a straight magazine loaded with 25 fat .45 caliber rounds on the well and charged the weapons. She flicked the safety on and settled it on the bed.

Yuu was pleased when she opened the boxes of ammo on the bag. There are 9mm Federal Hydroshok hollowpoints and regular 115-grain Parabellum rounds, manufactured in Japan. She loads her magazines into a so-called "Dutch style" configuration, alternating the Parabellums with JHP's. Ryo loads his Magnum and speedloaders with a variety of loads; flat-nose wadcutters, black-tipped armor piercing rounds, Glaser slugs that fires like a shotgun, and the Bonded Defense JHP slugs.

The two heard a knock on the door of the motel room. Ryo peeked on the peephole, his right hand gripping the massive Python revolver. "It's a delivery guy," he said to Yuu. "Did you order something?"

"Yes. It's addressed to you."

Ryo opened the door and talked with the delivery guy. A few seconds later he closed and locked the door. Ryo gave the paper bag to Yuu. "What is that?" he asked.

"I ordered it from Akihabara. I figured I need something to make a statement." Yuu opened the bag and pulled out a red and white French maid costume. She went to the bathroom and came out dressed with the cute outfit, including a cute lace headband.

Ryo was mesmerized; Yuu looked so cute on her maid costume. "I…" he stammered. "You're beautiful…"

"Black and white is the color of the Servants," Yuu explained. "Red would be our color. The color of blood that we have to spill for justice."

"I hope its not gonna be our blood that will be spilled," Ryo said grimly.


	6. Chapter 6

6

Hideki Sakamoto is a rich man. He is one of the movers and shakers of the Tokyo underworld. As a ranking yakuza boss, he controls all kinds of syndicated crimes in the area; gunrunning, prostitution, extortion, and drug trafficking. He moves around like a king, riding his customized Rolls Royce with an entourage of fully armed bodyguards. He owns several properties, including a building in Shinjuku. But there was little chance that Sakamoto is currently on Shinjuku. He could be anywhere.

It changes nothing.

Based on the records that Ryo retrieved with the help of Umibozu and Saeko, a certain Charles Mikaso is the registered "owner" of the three-story industrial building. Digging deeper, Ryo and Yuu found out that Mikaso is merely a decoy; he was the one that launders Sakamoto's dirty money by buying properties across Japan. Yuu is also positive that she killed a rival yakuza boss before under orders from Mikaso, paid for by drug money.

Yuu wanted to put Mikaso out of business for good.

Ryo silently agrees. He knows Mikaso is untouchable by the law. Last year, he was investigated by the police because of suspected drug connections. But the flak they received from Mikaso's high priced lawyers made them think twice before they investigate him again. Their only witness was later found dead in Tokyo Bay, there is no evidence to link Mikaso with the killing.

Mikaso is a bad man. And he deserves to die, Ryo thought.

The City Hunter climbed the fire escape of the building adjacent to the target. It was already dark, and he remained invisible despite the busy activities on the streets below. His long coat kept him warm as well as hiding his weapons. The M4 carbine snug securely on his side, the Colt Python on his shoulder rig and the tiny S&W on his ankle holster. As a precaution, he also carries a small Detonics Combat Master .45 automatic that is tucked on a holster in his belt.

When Ryo reached the top of the fire escape, he gathered his nerve and leaped on the other side. Luckily, the building's flat roof muffled his fall. Ryo took off his coat and brought the M4 up. He made his way towards the door. Peeking on the side, he spots his first prey.

Two guards are busy playing mahjong on a makeshift table. They have no idea that in a few seconds, their life will come to an end. Ryo leveled the M4 and pulled the trigger.

The carbine spat 5.56mm death on the bodyguards. The weapon's silencer kept the decibels to a minimum, but the rounds are still devastating. The two fell dead, their bodies ravaged by lead and their mahjong table destroyed. Ryo looked around, no one saw him and probably no one heard a thing. He checked the bodies and sure enough, both are stone dead. The .223 caliber Remington hollowpoints are small and sleek but they are designed to expand and tumble inside flesh, creating horrendous wounds. City Hunter hated killing them in cold blood, but he has to do it.

Ryo entered the door and mentally urged Yuu to do her stuff.

* * *

><p>Tokyo is the land of crashing cultures. Visitors are often shocked by the plethora of subcultures on the streets. From the visual kei and gothic Lolita fashion in Harajuku, to cosplay and maid cafes in Akihabara. Shinjuku also has maid cafes where waitresses are dressed in French maid uniforms and call the customers "masters".<p>

So no one took a special interest with Yuu walking on the street dressed in her red French maid costume. She is carrying a blue and white school bag. The bag is perfect for hiding her weapons.

The cute maid walked into the dark alley near the target building. She had grown a six sense of things as an assassin, watching and being careful with her every move. Fortunately, the gangsters inside are seemingly not concerned with security. She didn't encounter any opposition as she made it to the parking area. In Tokyo where space, even parking lots, are a rare, Mikaso manages to maintain a big parking lot. But now, the parking lot is almost empty except for three vehicles; a big Mercedes Benz van, a Honda SUV and a very expensive Bentley luxury car.

Yuu saw no guards around. She deducted that with Mikaso's reputation, there is no need for a guard. No one is crazy enough to steal a car from a known yakuza boss. But Yuu is not here to steal the cars; she is here to blow them to bits.

Minami is a genius in explosives, and she taught Yuu how to make simple bombs using items that could be found on a simple electronic store. She assembled the explosive devices on the motel room, much to the surprise and fear of Ryo Saeba.

Yuu took one of the devices from her bag. It was a crude bomb made out of a cheap cellular phone, a speaker magnet, and a small amount of C4 wrapped in duct tape. She carefully and discretely ducked under the Bentley and planted the bomb on the gas tank. She took another one and placed it on the Honda's gas tank. Satisfied that the two bombs would destroy the two cars and the one in between, she quietly entered a small window.

She found herself on a kitchen. She hid behind a large refrigerator and opened her bag. Yuu took out her belt containing the twin Berettas and spare magazines and snapped it on her waist. Then he took the UMP-45, making sure that there is a round on the chamber and the safety is off. She packs spare mags and grenades on her apron. Then she slipped a night vision goggles on her head.

She excited the kitchen and found herself face to face with a gangster.

They were both surprised at the same time. It would be a quick draw contest. But the yakuza's gun is still on his waist, on safety and he's unprepared for a fight.

Yuu had her submachine gun aimed at the man's chest.

Yuu pulled the trigger of the H&K chopper. Three .45 caliber flatnose killers pulped his heart and lungs. The man toppled sideways, dropping his gun on the floor.

"Jiro?" a voice asked. Another man entered the room, and saw the cute maid holding a sinister-looking weapon. His hand dropped to his side but Yuu fired the UMP-45 at less than five feet away. The force of the impact sent the man to the floor, his face and head blown away.

Yuu knew she hadn't loose her stealth, despite killing two bodyguards. Her gun has a silencer, but that was a misnomer. Silencers didn't make a gun silence at all. It simply suppressed the sound of a firearm, so that a large gun may sound like a smaller gun. Thanks to the loud Japanese pop music, no one heard the muffled sound of gunpowder exploding.

She saw the circuit breaker in a few seconds. Yuu leveled the UMP and shot the metal box with a few rounds. The breaker sparked and the lights went out.

Yuu placed the night vision goggles on her eyes.

* * *

><p>Ryo Saeba had his own night vision goggles on his eyes. He moved with lightning speed, entering the now dark third floor. Hearing the loud music, Ro immediately spotted two guards, who were puzzled by the sudden blackout.<p>

Yuu crashed the party.

Ryo saw only green apparition on his NVG, but it was enough. One supersonic round from his M4 took out guard number one. His buddy recognized the sound of suppressed gunshot and felt warm gore splash on his face. Before the man could raise his Uzi, Ryo hit him with a burst in the forehead, splitting his head like a cantaloupe.

He ran forward, having memorized the plan of the building on his head. Then he saw another guard standing on the corridor, armed with a rifle. His M4 barked and the gangster fell, accidentally triggering his weapon. The loud report alerted the yakuza men.

Two gunmen saw the running man and fired their guns. Bullets stitched on the walls, but since they don't have NVG's, the men are firing blindly. Three more joined in, blasting the corridor with hundreds on unaimed lead. Ryo was already taking cover behind a concrete pillar. Bullets chopped around him but he was not hit.

"Shoot this," Ryo said, taking an MU-50G grenade from his belt. He pulled the pin and tossed the tennis ball size explosive. Ryo fired a burst to discourage the enemy from picking up the grenade.

The hand grenade detonated, hurling steel beads at 6,100 meters per second. Screams of horrible pain drowned out the sound of the explosion. Ryo moved in and saw the carnage. Three are instantly dead, their bodies blown apart. Another was missing both his legs, screaming in pain. Ryo killed him with a mercy shot on the head.

Only one survived without an external wound, but he is curled in a ball in pain. He is helpless, but Ryo didn't give him a chance to recover. He blew the man's head with a burst.

Ryo dropped the magazine of the carbine and slapped one full home.

* * *

><p>Yuu fired his subgun while running, taking out two more guards. With her right hand firing the UMP, she tossed a grenade on a room. The explosion killed a guy instantly and wounded another. Yuu changed magazines and took the detonator from her apron. It was a cheap cellphone. Pushing the call button, she heard the explosion outside. The cars were turned into burning rubble.<p>

Mikaso would not escape.

The ex-Servant of Death saw a group of yakuza men scouring like flies, panicking from fear. They look pitiful, and she feels no sympathy for them. Yuu held the trigger and rained lethal slugs on her victims.

The attack was ferocious and sudden. A yakuza man collapsed, his chest a gory mess. Another one had haft of his face blown away by .45 caliber rounds. Two others had horrible wounds as hollowpoints slashed into them. The last one is missing his left arm. Yuu's second burst blew his head apart.

Suddenly, a yakuza man came out of another room. He pointed the gun at Yuu's head. "Drop your weapon!" he shrieked in a shaking voice. Clearly he was scared to death. Yuu was more worried that he would panic and accidentally trigger his gun. Fortunately, the distance is very close.

Yuu's right hand lashed out, snatching the gun from the man. He was shocked and terrified that suddenly he was unarmed. "Please don't kill me!" he begged, raising his hands.

Yuu pulled the trigger. A single .45 round blasted the man's right shoulder. He shrieked in pain. "You'll live," Yuu said. "Get out of here. And tell Sakamoto that Yuu is back."

The wounded man ran like hell.

Bullets smashed on the concrete wall in front of Yuu. A gangster saw the girl in the maid costume and thought he could get a shot on her. Unfortunately, the man fired his gun only for the first time. Yuu's left hand swiftly pulled her Beretta from his belt and hit the gangster with two rounds on the torso and one in the head. He died before he realized his mistake.

* * *

><p>Charles Mikaso was busy partying with his men at the second floor when the lights went out. At first he thought it was just a power fluctuation, but when he heard gunfire, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up in fear. Then he heard the explosions. He looked out and saw his prized Bentley in flames.<p>

It had just registered to him that they were under attack when more explosions and gunfire erupted from the first and third floor. In the darkness, surrounded by cursing, panicking men, Mikaso tried to figure out what was going on. This wasn't a police raid, it was a military-style all out attack. No one had asked for a surrender, no one was going to. The gunfire intensified, the attackers are mowing them down in the darkness. Which means they also have night vision goggles.

Who are these guys?

Mikaso couldn't think with all these screaming and cursing around him.

"Shut up!" he shouted. The room fell quiet, except for the sound of gunfire.

Mikaso thought quickly. His office is big, but with only a single door and window. He's got a least a dozen men here. He could very well hold off the assault for a while. "Barricade the door with everything you can use," he ordered.

As his men are piling the couches, tables and cabinets against the door, Mikaso knew the defense would be futile. The enemy is using explosives and grenades, and they won't accept any white flags. He was already thinking of his own, private escape plan which means everyone else should stay here and die.

* * *

><p>Ryo threw a grenade on a corridor. The blaster detonated with a loud whump, echoing inside the building. When Ryo rounded the corner he saw one survivor amidst the body parts scattered around him. With a tap on the M4's trigger, the man fell dead with a bullet on the throat.<p>

Ryo checked the face of the dead man. It wasn't Mikaso.

He dropped the empty mag of his M4. It was then that he realized he exhausted all of spare his 30-rounder banana magazines. Ryo dropped the carbine on the floor and drew his Colt Python.

With his big revolver leading the way, Ryo entered a dark room. A crazed yakuza soldier shouted an ancient war cry and charged Ryo with a samurai katana sword raised high. Swordsman meets gunslinger with predictable results. Ryo double-tapped two raging .357 Magnum rounds on the man's chest and he fell with his sword. He checked the face of the dead samurai.

It wasn't Mikaso.

A sudden movement caught his eye. Ryo spun and fired his Magnum on the running figure. The yakuza soldier took cover and fired back. Ryo is already moving and the bullets found only the walls. He didn't have time to reload his revolver so he dropped it and drew his tiny Detonics Combat Master. Thumbing off the safety, Ryo fired five times. At least one .45 caliber slug stung the man in the neck, killing him.

With only three rounds on the mag, he dropped the magazine of the Detonics and slapped one 8-round spare home. He then picked up the Python and reloaded it as well.

Another figure appeared. Ryo pointed his gun but didn't fire. The figure was dressed in a maid's costume.

"All clear on the first," Yuu reported.

"All clear on the third," Ryo acknowledged.

Yuu tilted her head towards a large door in the end of the corridor. "That's the only room we haven't checked," she said.

Ryo nodded. He took out his two remaining concussion grenade, they didn't have the killing power of the MU-50G's shrapnel but they can still kill and maim with shock wave and noise. Yuu has two more MU-50G and one concussion grenade. She took out another one of her homemade explosive device. "We can use this to blow the door open," she said.

"You're scary sometimes," Ryo remarked.

Yuu placed the bomb on the door. "There is an eight of a stick of C4 on that. Enough to blow the door and anything behind it." The two took cover behind a steel filing cabinet. Yuu took out her makeshift detonator and pushed the call button.

The explosive detonated with a massive roar. The heavy door disappeared in a ball of flame, the force of the blast sent debris inside the room. Ryo could hear screaming, and he didn't give a damn. He pulled the pins from his two concussion grenades and threw them inside the room.

The twin blast was followed by screams and smoke.

Yuu tossed in one of her MU-50G's. As the grenades blew, Yuu removed her NVG as well as Ryo. A raging fire has started inside the office. They could feel the fire from sixty feet away. Yuu raised the last of her MU-50G.

Ryo pulled out his Combat Master pistol and nodded to Yuu. The maid threw the grenade inside.

When the last grenade exploded, there are no more screams that followed. The sprinklers kicked in and water rained on the flames. Yuu drew both her Berettas. Ryo is already holding is Python on the right and Combat Master on the left. With guns on both their hands, the two entered the wrecked door and charges the office.

Despite the sprinklers, half the room was on fire. The other half was ripped with shrapnel and stained with smoke. It stank of explosive, burning furniture and ruptured human beings. The barricade had been blown apart by successive grenade blasts. The men who took cover behind it were reduced to bloody pieces.

A gun muzzle poked out from behind the curtains.

Ryo and Yuu saw it at the same instant. Ryo fired his revolver and pistol while Yuu double-tapped her twin Berettas. A salvo of .357, .45 and 9mm rounds penetrated the drapes and dropped the yakuza man before he could squeeze off a round.

Another one appeared behind a steel cabinet.

Again, Ryo and Yuu fired in unison. The unfortunate man took all rounds in his head, his decapitated corpse dropping like a sack of potatoes.

"Kiyaaa!" shrieked a voice from behind them. The two spun and saw Mikaso running towards them, katana raised high in the intention if cutting them to bits.

Ryo has read the file on Mikaso's background and indeed, he has a background in kendo. But there is a fundamental problem to his plan of attack. He was too far and he's against the City Hunter with a gun.

Ryo triggered the Magnum. The slug punch through steel and snapped the katana in half. Mikaso continued, confident that he could still hurt Ryo with the broken sword. He totally forgot about Yuu.

Yuu triggered her Berettas, aiming for the lower extremities. 9mm Parabellum tore through Mikaso's legs. He collapsed screaming in pain. Yuu kicked the katana away.

"Please….don't kill me…" Mikaso begged. "I'm just…a caretaker here…"

"Where is Sakamoto?" Yuu asked, pressing the hot muzzle of her gun on Mikaso's face.

Mikaso screamed in agony.

"WHERE IS SAKAMOTO?" Yuu thundered.

"I.. don't know. I swear I don't know….But I know something else…."

"What? Spill it or you will die."

"The…next target…of the maids…is General Kitamura…"

Ryo knew the name. General Nobutoshi Kitamura is a notoriously incompetent official, who only got promoted because he is an expert on ass kissing. Saeko herself hated his guts, and Ryo couldn't care less if he dies.

But this could be the perfect bait they can use to catch the Servants. No one will miss Kitamura, and they might be successful in nailing a few of the deadly maids.

Mikaso groaned in pain. "I tell you what I know…" he said. "Let me go…please…"

Yuu lifted Mikaso on his feet. Blood spilled on her costume. "Let me bring you out of your misery," she said and pushed Mikaso to the flames.

Mikaso screamed more as flames consumed his body. Through he caused death and misery to others, Ryo knew Mikaso is suffering a horrible death. He aimed the Detonics on his head and fired a mercy round.

They heard the police sirens closing it.


	7. Chapter 7

7

Kai paced like an angry dog.

Sakura, Ai, Keiko and Minami sat around him, their faces somber. The news already reached them.

"No…" Minami cried. "Not one-chan…"

Kai banged his fist in the table. "Yuu has turned sides. She was one of the two that raided Mikaso's turf and killed all but one inside. She let one go alive to tell us that she's out for vengeance."

"This is all your fault, Kai!" Keiko thundered. "Yuu swore that she well not hinder us even if she leaves, but you still sent those useless punks to kill her!"

"Hey," Kai replied angrily. "She's better off dead that alive!"

Sakura stood up. "I will kill Yuu," she said defiantly. "Send us in."

Kai facepalmed. "Don't you see? That's what she wants to happen! She wants us to be out of our hole so the can kill or capture us!"

"I will assure you, she will regret her decision of going against us," Sakura replied angrily.

Ai spoke. "There are two raiders. Yuu was the one. Who was the other one?"

"A tall man," Kai replied. "He could be cop."

It was Sakura's turned to facepalm. "Jesus, Kai. Are you from this planet? Haven't you heard what they did? They used bombs and automatic rifles, they just mowed everyone down. You think the police would do such a thing?"

"So who is it?" asked Kai.

Keiko thought about something. "A tall man…does he have South American features?"

"Since everyone who saw the man is dead, no one can tell for sure."

"Is there something on your mind, Keiko?" Sakura asked.

"Well, its just a hunch. But there is a legendary figure in the Tokyo underworld. He's a tall man with South American features and he's very proficient with a gun. They call him, the City Hunter."  
>"Witnesses on the Lamborghini Bar also reported a tall man helping Yuu," Kai remembered. "And he has Latino features."<p>

"We should kill that City Hunter too," Sakura suggested.

"That won't be easy," Keiko commented. "According to those that know the City Hunter, he is the best. He can kill from close quarters to extreme distances. I wouldn't know for sure, but based on his legend, the destruction on Mikaso's building is a trademark of the City Hunter."

"You're giving the man too much of a credit," Sakura growled. "It's impossible for him to cause that kind of damage, that many casualties."

Minami spoke up. "If what Keiko's saying is true, only one-chan can match the City Hunter's skill. And with them together, it's a lethal combination."

"We'll kill Yuu and that bastard later," Kai insisted. "For now, we have to accomplish what we are paid for."

"I'll deal with Kitamura," Ai said. "You guys find Yuu and City Hunter."

"Are you sure?" Kai asked. "He could be waiting for you."

'I'll go with Ai," said Minami. "I will provide the explosive cover."

"Then go," Kai ordered.

* * *

><p>City Hunter slept for only an hour. The raid last night was a success, but they made quite a mess for Captain Saeko Nogami. Good thing the captain has enough connection to keep the incident as tight-covered as possible.<p>

"You are positive of this?" asked Saeko. She is riding on the passenger side of Ryo's Ferrari.

"Yeah I'm quite positive," Ryo replied, checking his revolver.

"Never liked General Kitamura at all. If the Servants didn't get him, I will kill him myself then tell everyone the Servants got him."

"You sick bitch," Ryo said mockingly.

Ryo Saeba made the decision to tell Saeko who is the next target. Since Saeko is a cop, she can make the necessary arrangements, but Ryo wanted the Servants to be lured on a trap. It was a classic hunting strategy. Pull some bait, and wait for the deer. When they get curious and eat the bait, it would be easier to take them down.

Of course, a deer doesn't shoot back.

Ryo also convinced Yuu to sit this one out. The attack would happen in broad daylight, and it would be hard to explain if people see a cute maid shooting people on the street. Yuu was now with Kaori on their safehouse in Chinatown. He drove towards the Cat's Eye café. They will need more firepower if they expected to survive against the Servants.

"So, you took our Mikaso for good," Umibozu said while fixing coffee for his guests. "Where is Yuu?"

"On a safe place," Ryo replied, taking a sip of the coffee. "Goddamn, this is awful."

"You'll get used to it. What do you need?"

"Bulletproof vests," said Saeko. "Level III with extra trauma plates."

As if by magic, Miki came out holding four vests. "These are new ones," she said. "The plates are titanium and not ceramic. It would block a few 7.62mm."

"By the way, since Yuu is taking a time off, we need an extra man." Saeko took a sip. The coffee was indeed awful and her face twisted in disgust. "I think you should come, Umibozu."

"As much as I want, my wound is still not fully healed, and I got several cracked ribs," Umibozu said somberly. "I should get a refund on those old vests."

"You're lucky you only have broken ribs," Ryo commented.

"I told him that before," Miki said, rolling her eyes.

Umibozu shook his head. "Why don't you join them, Miki?"

"Yeah Miki," Ryo said. "It's been a while since you went out on a mission."

Saeko nodded. "I have no doubt in your combat skills, Miki. It would be nice if you could join us."

Miki smiled. "I'll get my guns."

* * *

><p>There are times that French maid costumes can attract unwanted attention, so the Servants of Death learned how to blend with the crowd. Minami, the youngest of the assassins, could easily pass as a high school student. Wearing her HS uniform, she was not stopped by anyone as she entered the lobby of ZTG condominium.<p>

Minami sips the last of her espresso and tossed the cup on the garbage bin. The bottom of the cup is false – it contained a powerful thermal charge that Minami made herself. She walked towards the waiting area where there are couches.

Minami took a magazine from the coffee table. With a sleigh of hand, she inserted a small envelope on all the magazines. The envelopes contained sheets of plastic explosives. After planting the explosives on the magazines, she stood up and smiled her way out.

She did her job. Before she even entered the building she already planted bombs on the plant boxes around the area. The bombs she planted would cause chaos and some damage or even death, but the explosives are relatively small. Minami, like her mentor Yuu, didn't want to kill anyone unnecessarily. She wants to create chaos and confusion, not a huge body count.

Satisfied that her job is done, she rode a taxi to keep her distance from the hell that would happen here later.

Since Ryo's Ferrari could only sit two people, Miki followed the red sports car on her Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle. Aside for guns, the beautiful ex-mercenary enjoys fast cars and bikes. Her Hayabusa can surpass European made superbikes in terms of handling and sheer speed.

Ryo parked the Ferrari in front of ZTG condominium as Miki parked on the motorcycle area. Ryo is dressed on his usual red shirt and white suit. Saeko looks stunning on miniskirt and jacket, while Miki looks badass on denim jacket and skirt. The Kevlar vest they wore can only be noticed if you look hard enough.

"Stay here, Miki," Saeko ordered.

"For a police general, this is quite an expensive condo," Miki commented.

Saeko didn't say anything.

Ryo and Saeko took the elevator. The elevator door opened on the 10th floor and two men stopped them. "Identify yourselves," the uniformed police officer said.

Saeko took out her ID with two other ID cards. "Captain Saeko Nogami, Homicide. These is my detective, Kenichi Kaneda."

The other officer scrutinized the ID's. The first one has his hands on his pocket, and not because of the cold. He's probably holding a gun, pointing at the two. "Yep these are genuine," the second one said after a few minutes.

"We would like to speak with General Kitamura," Saeko said.

"We must put you through a security check first," said the second, giving back the IDs to Saeko. "Please place your guns here on the table."

Saeko drew her SIG-Sauer X5 LW and backup Raven .25 caliber pistol. She placed them on the table. Ryo did the same with his Colt Python, S&W snub nose and Detonics Combat Master.

After a minute, they were cleared to go in the room with their weapons. The condo unit was quite luxurious. It was filled with expensive furniture and appliances. Ryo and Saeko waited for a few more minutes before General Kitamura came out of his room.

"Well, well," the general scoffed. "If it isn't Captain Nogami and the City Hunter himself."

Ryo looked worried.

"Don't worry," Kitamura said, as if reading Ryo's mind. "I know all about you. Frankly, it's quite an honor for you to visit me here."

Ryo considered killing him.

"General, you are in grave danger," Saeko said. "We have credible evidence that the Servants of Death are after you."

"Really?" Kitamura looked unconvinced. "Why would they want to assassinate a police general like me?"

Ryo had enough. "Because you are protecting yakuza families, getting handsome amounts of cash in return. And yeah, you are skilled in the art of ass-kissing too."

Kitamura's mode suddenly turned dark. Saeko waited for him to draw his gun and shoot Ryo, but then the general laughed. "Hahaha! You're one cool dude, City Hunter."

"Frankly," Ryo said, imitating Kitamura's gruff demeanor. "I don't give a shit if you get killed. That would be the best thing the Servants could do. But we are here to prevent them from taking more innocent lives."

Kitamura waved him off. "You don't need to worry." He walked towards the window. "This is a safe place. And I have many bodyguards."

"Takada has a small army but the maids waded through them like there not even there," Saeko commented.

"Those are gangsters. I have a professional security group." Kitamura acts like he owned half of the world. "Those maids can't hurt me."

But then the window exploded in a millions pieces.


	8. Chapter 8

8

The Servant of Death sniper Ai is in tiptop shape, despite her thin frame. She effortlessly climbed the stairs of the building east of ZTG condominium. It was still under construction, with fifteen floors finished. Perfect.

Wearing construction overalls and a hardhat, the beautiful maid assassin disguises herself as a building inspector, complete with a clipboard and camera. She talked and charmed her way pass the workers and engineers. Carrying a long satchel, she climbed ten floors in only a few minutes.

After making sure no one can see her, she picks a perfect place which is deep inside the building. The hole in the wall that will be the window provided an unobstructed view across the street.

And straight into the unit of General Nobutoshi Kitamura.

Ai opened her satchel and took out her sniper weapon of choice. She mated the upper and lower receiver then snapped in the 20-inch barrel. It's an AR-15 rifle, almost the same as the military M16. But the regular AR-15 fire the puny 5.56mm round, Ai's gun is converted to fire the massive .499 caliber slug. She attached the stock and adjusted it to her comfort. Satisfied, she topped the rifle with a NightForce scope.

The .499 caliber Leitner-Wise was designed for the US Coast Guard to destroy engines of drug speedboats and to inflict massive chest wounds on hostile crews. The long barrel would give Ai the needed range and power. She inserted a magazine loaded with ten tungsten cored rounds on the rifle and set the free-floating barrel atop a sandbag that she brought. Kai said Kitamura's window is reinforced and can block 7.62mm rounds so she needed all the firepower she can get. The first shot would break the window; the second would deliver the killer blow.

She removed her coveralls. Underneath, she is wearing only a pair of orange tank top and very short pants. On her shoulder holster is a pair of Micro Uzi submachine guns fitted with 20-round 9mm magazines. She carries more on mags on her belt. Ai didn't intend to fight her way out of the building, but she had learned to be extra prepared. Being unprepared cost lives.

The sniper quickly spotted Kitamura on her scope. It seems he is talking to some people. She is just waiting for the right moment, a dead on head or heart shot.

It didn't take long. As soon as the crosshairs went center on Kitamura's head, she squeezed the trigger.

* * *

><p>Miki bought herself an espresso while taking a close watch on the lobby. Like Yuu and Saeko, she is tall, sexy and beautiful. She's also ready for any violent confrontation. Her primary weapon rests on her shoulder holster, an ancient Browning HiPower. Despite its old age, the HiPower is still a powerful, accurate weapon. And in the hands of an expert level shooter like Miki, it's a deadly 9mm pistol. Made of solid steel, it's heavier than modern polymer handguns, but that weight can also have a distinct advantage on accuracy. Miki customized and modified the handgun herself, adding a compensator, Picatinny rail and the ability to accept Glock magazines. This gives the Browning 17 rounds shots before reloading, five shots more than the standard 13 rounder magazine.<p>

As a backup, Miki carries two more firearms. A Glock 26 on a tucked holster on her back. The tiny Glock can also accept the magazine of the Browning, which is very important in case the primary weapon malfunctions. Her belt contains several spare 17 round mags. Lastly, hidden behind her miniskirt, on a garter holster securely strapped on her slender left leg, is an American Derringer. The tiny two-shot pistol is loaded with two .410 Magnum shotgun shells, useless past five feet but deadly up close.

Miki was a former mercenary, honing her skills in South America and Europe. She had developed a sort of "six-sense" about things, and can respond without thinking. So when she saw a flash coming from the lobby, it was merely instinct for her to raise her hands to protect her face. That's when she heard the loud boom.

Then the plant boxes around the building started blowing up.

* * *

><p>Ryo and Saeko spotted it at the same time, the faint glare of light reflecting from an object in the building across the street. It could be anything that could reflect a light like glass or even shiny metal, but Ryo knew in an instant that it is a rifle scope.<p>

Ryo tackled Kitamura as the heavy projectile smashed the window into as million pieces.

Saeko dropped to the ground as another .499 caliber hurled across the room and hit an expensive vase.

"Oh my God, oh my God…" Kitamura screamed in horror. Ryo ignored him, he already had his Python out.

"Saeko!" the City Hunter bellowed.

"I'm okay," Saeko replied, hugging the deck with SIG-Sauer in hand.

Kitamura's two police bodyguards rushed inside the condo. "What's going on?" they asked.

"Down!" shouted Saeko.

But it was too late. Five hundred grains of metal hit the officer on the left in the face. The .499 bullet has a force greater that a .45 caliber round fired a point blank range. It turned flesh, bones and blood into vapor, exploding the head like a watermelon. The other bodyguard blinked, blood and gore suddenly splashed into him. Then he was hit with another .499 on the chest, pulping his heart before exiting onto his back. He never felt the pain.

As sorry as Ryo felt for the bodyguards, he was glad that they had showed him the location of the sniper. He swung his frame, crawled on his belly and leveled the revolver on the window. He doubt if he could hit the sniper with his revolver at that distance, but he has to do something. Ryo pulled the trigger again and again until the revolver was empty. The glare disappeared.

"Miki!" Ryo shouted to his radio.

"I'm okay," came the reply of Miki. "The lobby is a mess."

Then he saw the sniper running.

Ryo's hand flashed to his Detonics, triggering the little .45. Saeko joined in, pumping rounds on the other building with her SIG. But the running figure disappeared.

Ryo reloads the Python and the Combat Master. "She's making a break for it, I'm coming down. I'll meet you down there!"

"Ryo, they bombed the lobby," said Miki on the radio.

"Please….for the love of God, don't leave me!" Kitamura begged. "They'll kill me!"

Ryo backhanded the general in the face. He went down, nose bleeding. Ryo looked at Saeko. "Don't kill him while I'm gone, okay?" he said.

"Be careful," Saeko only said.

* * *

><p>Ai's timing is perfect. She didn't wait a single second. As soon as she spotted Kitamura's head, she pulled the trigger of her AR-15.<p>

The window exploded on impact just as planned. She is going to take a second shot but then she saw a figure in white smashing on his target and bringing him down. She fired anyway, saturating the condo room with .499 slugs.

She saw the two bodyguards bursting inside. Ai smiled and sniped them both, their bodies exploding in blood and gore.

Her fire betrayed her position. Two .357 Magnum slugs whizzed passed her head and smacked on the concrete wall. Instinct came and she moved her head sideways.

Her expensive NightForce scope exploded in a shower of metal and glass. It was obvious that the shooter spotted and shot the scope. Ai felt the stinging pain on her left ear. The .357 Magnum slug clipped the top of her ear. Her hand held his ear, the wound wasn't serious and there's only a little blood. If she hadn't move, the bullet would have gone straight to her eye.

Ai was dumbfounded. Her assailant nailed her using only a handgun. Whoever he is, he's good.

Too damned good.

Ai let the rifle dropped and bolted away, drawing her two Uzis. More bullets hit her lair as she ran toward the stairs.

* * *

><p>Miki was quick and agile, and that helped her to survive. She took cover behind a car as the plant boxes started going up in smoke. She surveyed the area, people are running while many are down on the ground, wounded or stunned. The damage look light, as if the bomber just wanted to cause mayhem and chaos, not kill people.<p>

She heard gunfire from the building in front of ZTG, she immediately recognized the sound as heavy caliber sniper fire, possibly a .50 caliber. Miki drew her Browning HiPower and ran across the street. "Police!" she shouted, driving off the construction workers.

"What's going on?" a security guard asked as Ryo's voice shouted on her earpiece.

"Sniper on the 10th floor," Miki answered. "I need to get up there."

"Wait for me, Miki!" said Ryo on her radio.

"No time. She's going to escape."

"There is another female security guard on the eight," the guard said. "Toshiba just called and said she can't move. Bullet caught her."

Miki didn't wait, she bolted to the stairs. She heard the pop pop sound of gunfire, the sniper is using machine pistols. She covered four floors in just a few minutes. Miki immediately spotted a girl on top of the stairs, dressed in orange tank top and shorts.

Ai saw Miki down the stairs. She aimed her two Micro Uzis and squeezed the triggers. Miki jerked back, the steel railing sparked as 9mm slug hit it. One ricocheted into Miki's belly but the Level III body armor protected her from harm. Miki fired back with his Browning, triggering four shots.

Ai cursed, ducking to avoid the well-aimed rounds. The bitch knew what she's doing, she thought.

Miki charges again, climbing two floors. Ai's machine pistols rattled, raining bullets on the concrete and steel. Miki retaliated, firing wildly. She ran up again then stopped when she heard the sniper screamed.

"Stop right there, bitch!" Ai warned. She is holding Toshiba hostage. "Make a move and she dies!"

Miki froze.

"Throw your weapon!"

Miki hesitated. Ai pressed her gun on Toshiba's wound. She screamed in pain.

"I'll kill her!" Ai threatened.

Miki raised her Browning. She dropped the magazine and racked the slide to empty the chamber. She tossed the old pistol down the railing.

"Your backup pistol too!"

Miki raised her skirt and drew the small Derringer. She tossed the gun away. The subcompact Glock 26 stayed on her back.

"Only two?" asked Ai.

"Only two," Miki lied. She glanced at Toshiba. The security guard is still young and pretty, but her forehead is bleeding and her left arm is a gory mess.

"Bitch!" Ai snarled and shot Miki on the chest.

Two 9mm slugs smashed on Miki's chest like sledgehammer blows. Ai has been aiming for her head but she stepped backed in the last second, placing her aim on Miki's vest. Miki spun despite of her vest, the hollowpoints flattened on her titanium trauma plate. She fell backwards, just in time to hear Ai's Uzi ripped. She executed Toshiba.

Miki's back hit the concrete stairs, and she grunted in pain as she slid down. But she manages to pull out her Glock 26 and fired as she slides back. Ai returned fire and her bullets hit nothing but concrete. The sniper ran, not waiting for Miki to stand up.

Miki grunted as she tried to stand, but the force of the bullets and the fall beat the hell out of her. She took her radio and spoke to Ryo. "She's coming out of the building…" she said.

"Are you okay, Miki?" asked Ryo.

"I'm alive…barely. She is armed with two Uzis."

"Stay there! We'll help you ASAP!"

"Just get the bitch, she murdered a security guard."

"What does she look like?"

"A beautiful girl wearing orange shorts."

* * *

><p>Ryo Saeba saw Ai leaving the building under construction. It was just what Miki described; she's wearing orange tank tops and shorts. It's as if the girl is advertising swim suits. Ai fired her guns in the air to discourage people from stopping her.<p>

Ryo gave chase, unholstering his Detonics. He wanted to take her alive as possible, so he opted to use the less powerful pistol. A taxicab slowly pulled aside the assassin, the door open.

No way, Ryo said to himself. He thumbed off the safety and fired the Combat Master. Ai fell on the street, her left shoulder bleeding. The taxicab sped away, leaving Ai writhing in agony.

Ryo ran closer. Ai suddenly pointed her Uzi at Ryo's face. The City Hunter's foot lashed out, sending the Uzi flying. The sniper raised her other Uzi but Ryo swatted it away as well.

"Give it up!" Ryo bellowed, his pistol pointing at Ai's head. He glanced back at the EMT's. "I need a medic here!"

Suddenly, Ai kicked Ryo's shin. He tripped and fell, crashing on the ground. Ai pulled a small handgun from her ankle and fired at Ryo. She's aiming for his groin, but he managed to swivel away, the bullet coming dangerously close to his crotch. Ryo kicked the gun away but Ai jumped into him.

Despite her wound and with adrenalin shooting through her veins, Ai is incredibly strong. The two went head over heels, struggling. Ai knocked the Detonics out of Ryo's hand. She threw a punch that went straight into Ryo's jaw. He stepped back and drew his Python. Ai threw a roundhouse kick and swatted the gun away.

"No more Mr. Nice Guy," Ryo grunted and punched Ai in the belly. She doubled in pain, and then Ryo hit her with a right hook. Ai flew sideways and landed on the street.

Right next to the fallen Combat Master pistol.

Ryo dove towards the ground as Ai fired the gun, missing him barely. Ryo somersaulted and his right hand wrapping on the grip of his Python. He swing up and fired the Magnum.

The heavyweight hollowpoint slug struck Ai on the head and bored a hideous tunnel through her brain.

Ai flopped lifelessly, her blood pooling on the street.

"Ryo?" Saeko asked.

"I'm fine. She went down hard."

"Miki is injured, she's now on the ambulance."

Ryo glanced at the dead Servant of Death. He felt bad for her. She was young and beautiful, but she wasted her life by killing to live. Another life taken by his hands, Ryo is getting sick of this.

"What a waste," he muttered.


End file.
